Oral mouth rinse compositions have been used for the prevention of bad breath, elimination of oral microorganisms that are responsible for bad breath, tooth decay, plaque, gum diseases such as gingivitis, and for whitening of the teeth. Oral mouth rinses containing hydrogen peroxide are well known for their ability to whiten teeth and reduce the bacterial flora in the oral cavity. Hydrogen peroxide is utilized due to its ability to decompose into water and oxygen, with the oxygen then acting as both an antimicrobial agent, and a bleaching agent to whiten teeth.
In the oral cavity, the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen is aided by the enzyme peroxidase (also known as catalase). One factor affecting the rate of decomposition is the amount of peroxidase present in the oral cavity, with greater concentration resulting in greater decomposition. Thus, a mouth rinse that can cause an increase in the amount of peroxidase will have greater whitening and antimicrobial effectiveness.
Day U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,757 discloses a system for cleaning water lines, particularly in dental offices in which the peroxide decomposition is accelerated by the presence of an acidic sulfate. The presence of a disinfectant is also required. There is no disclosure or suggestion of oral use.
A second factor that will increase the rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition is temperature. Higher temperature will increase the reaction rate between the peroxidase and peroxide, thus causing a faster onset of whitening and microbial kill. A heated mouth rinse will whiten teeth and kill microbes to a greater extent than an unheated mouth rinse of the same composition.
The generation of heat in solutions for hair bleaching and dying using a combination of hydrogen peroxide and sulfites is well known, but there has been no disclosure of suggestion of such combinations in the oral cavity.